License-plate holder



Dec. 6, 1927. 1,652,126`

F. HALLAR ET AL LICENSE PLATE HOLDER Filed June 22. 1926 Patented Dec. 'j6, 1927.

' ronnnsr mannen, 'vor BLAIs'rowN, MISSOURI, AND. BEaYL c. LONG, orrornm,

KANSAS.

applicatie@medailleg2, 1,92 B'. 'ff`seria 1,No.filirea i This invention relates .to brackets Vfor clamps for securing-f license' plates f orV tags to automobiles, and v lia'sfor obj ecty the Lprovision. of ynovel ,means Iorsecurely; fastening Y license plates to brackets, the saidl device including ymeans by which-the fastenings may be disconnectedfor releasingv thelicen'se .plate vto permit its removal, and therefore, `tlieinkvention is capable of use from year to year in connectionvvith Vthe yearlyV renewed licenseV plates.

' to provide a. device in yWhich the .license plate Itv 4is a urtherj objectv .of this invention :to

provide novel lmeans whereby a tension is exerted on the operating parts oi-the'holder tov prevent rattling, and the saiddevice is capable of adjustment to take up lost mot-ion,

should 'it' develop:

n is a-,Senfuraief Object' @fais mennen holder cannot be readily manipulatedfbyun authorizedper'sons who might, want to re# move a license plate, andit therefore acts-als a safeguard, 'as Wellas aholdingdevice@ It isastilli'urfther object oiithisinvenfti'-0n to produce a plate holderof the Vcharaeter` lfndicated Whiclrvvill be eflicient a.nd"'sat i'sfacv toryy in use, and comparatively inenpenjsive to produce and maintain.

. lVith theforegoing and other objects. fin

View, the invention consists in the detailsof construction, and in the..arrangeinentfand combination `of parts to be hereinafter more fnllyset forth and claimed'.4A

In *describing thev invention in ings forming part.v yof this application Iwherein like characters denote corresponding `parts inthe several views, and in Which- V'Figure l illustrates a. view in elevation,` showing a. license plate associatedsvvith a des vice embodying the invention; Y-

Figure 2 illnstratesa perspective view kof the license plate clamping and retainingmeans;

Figure 3 ing vthe key when inserted;

defun, 'efg f erence Wi-ll'be had to the accompanying'dra'W-V illustrates-a .sectional'viewon the `lineZ-Q of F l With tliehey inplace 5 Figure 4 illustrates a s imilarview with the key i-n a differentposition;

Figure 5 illustrates asimilar vievvshovv-V Figure",7gillustrates"a. 'perspiectirvek"` viejvv showing 'the key and! thefleverf offsimpliied a, f:

construction. In the present embodiment of the finven tion, fthel V4license Vplate 10' is shown `asfattached to a convention'alftype'of bracket 11,.

the lplate being located against the bracket and'V the` clamping lplate l 1 2 being a located against the outer*` face ofthe license' plate.V kEach clamping plate is providedfvvth two "posted-3 andl having serrati'ons or Vteeth suchas 15, these posts are adaptedfto be. engaged byv arcuate' spring jaws "16 fand, 17,

Vsaid jaivsVV extending. fr onifthe'A central porfes c posifteZ the longitudinal fcenterof the lbowed shown' by Figsf2,-3,L/l, aridflof the drawings it being` the'interition of the inventors v that the posts' .shall'be Vengaged `by thejaws when proper adj nstment of the parts'has been" attainedp The'jj ayvsf are'preferablyV formedfin- Vtegralwith thejfedges of a` bowlfspringlS,

altlniigli,l of cou1s'e, 't hey may 'be separate elements vfand 'theymay be secured tothe spring" in .any 'appropriate Way. The; curved ends ofthe spring in use bear against some 'permanent part ofthe' bracket andr preferably againstthe-rear surface thereof, Whereas the clamping' plate, as statedfvvill vbear a against the face ofthe license plate. .It is,

ofcfourse, possible to reverse this'relation of parts, but in orderthat theholder may be properly manipulated, the arrangement just vd esc'sribedifi's lthe preierred-arrangement.

vAnapertiire A19 is provided in the plate'v1'2 Y and 'it isfntended tofregister with theV usual openings'l ,O I slots Q20 that fare formed `in license plate brackets offthensual kind, and ,the license plate has an aperture orslot2l which .is in. a-lineinent the'aperturerlf) holding the spring t i and the opening 20. A seating device or key is employed in connectionwith the elements just described, and in the present embodiment thereof, it comprises a bar or plate 22 with ribs orflanges23 and 24 on its two edges and they are spaced apart to form clearances or seats 25 that receive the edges of the arcuate jaws 16 and 17, under certain conditions of tie manipulation.` The key'is j slotted at its outer end, and on `each side of` the slot the key is provided with apertures'such" a`s`26, in which a pin`27` is held `and on which a lever 28 isfpivot'ed.` The lever liasa cam 29 which will engage the faceof the plate 12 as the lever is manipulatedand it will serve to exert a pull on'tlie Spring18 through the-enga einentpf the jaws withtlie key, as hereto ore described, and as the jaws are thus pulled inwardly with respect to the posts 13 and 14, the

jaws will ride over tbe ratchet teeth of the posts while the spring is being compressed. When proper tension has been applied to the spring,`a forty-five degree rotation ,will be impartedto the key and the flanges or "ribs will then extend parallel tothe edges of` the jaws and the key canbe removed, leaving the` jaws engaging the plates and arts `have been us secured, the key can e used for the `holder on the opposite end of the license plate. f

It will be noted, as illustrated by Figure 2 ofthe drawings, that the bowed or curved spring 18 has therethrough a centrally and longitudinally extending slotand that beyond `the slot or"opening`tlie ends ofthe spring are bent or curved transversely to` provide vrounded surfaces for contact with the rear side of the bracket.` The arcuate bolt engaging `jaws when under strainwill have atendency to twist or flex the portions of the slotted bow spring, sothat bythe construction shown, the resiliency of both the bow spring and the integral arcuatebolt engaging members is utilized without distortingthe curved end portions of said bow spring. i

The end of the `key has camming surfaces 30 which serve to spread the jaws whenthe key is pushed between them, and this spreading of the jaws will cause their disengage` ment from theposts and the release of the clamping plate in order tliatit may be with- `drawn when a lieenseplate isto be removed.

`In assembling the parts, the plate 12 having stud bolts or posts 13 and 14. with ratchet `teeth 15` thereon is passed through registering apertures through a` license plate and bracketand thebow spring` 18, so that the bolts spread apartand pass'between the jaws of the arcuate members which engage` with the teeth of the bolts and thus establish an initial engagement of the parts. After such initial engagement or assembly of the parts,

compressech j After the the bar 22 is passed through `thekey-hole located between the plate 12, and througi the apertures in the license plate, the bracket, the slot of the bowed spring 18 and `jaws of the arcuate ,p spring members, the lever being 1n position so that projections or flanges 23 and 30 may pass tlieends ofthe jaws 16 and 17 when a half turn is given to the lever 28. The cam face of'this lever when properly moved exerts force againstthe face plate and by `moveiiient ot'` the lever the parts will be distanced or separated to prevent the license and if desired, `the license p plate swn ing, plate may e secured in place by a centrally located' fixture, or the p ate holder may be held by a single fixture at one` end.

In use, as there is a spring pressure, rattling of the connected parts `will beY avoided without resorting to washersand the like, and the two spaced boltswhich ordinarily occupy a horizontal position in use hold the license plate against sagging, and byfsucli "construction "a single clamp vmay. be Aused either centrally or at one end to 'ellicieiitly connect a license plate to a support"and iiiaintainthle same to prevent movement and rattling.

As the parts thereof have been stated iii connection `with a descriptionof the elements and their relation to othei'cleiiients, a resum nf the iii the art.

The key 22a shown in Fig. 7 is `preferably foi-ined by staniping a metal plate of proper gage to produce notches or recessesat its edgev correspondingto the recesses 25, and the end of the key has cumming surtaces which will serve to spread the jaws. `The lever`28"l has a cani`29and it is oscillatably mounted on the stud 2Tn which inayfextend from the side of the key.

License plates'for autoiiio'biles are usually osts 13 and 14 of the parts is such that function of the device and the operation beieved unnecessaryfor an iin- `derstanding of the ii'ivention" by one skilled llU provided adjacent to theirupper edges and sides with slots to receive bolts :for connecting the parts, and owing "to vibration such connecting means are `likely `to work loose :ind suchconnecting iiieans are alsoobjectionablegiis `the plates may be readily ieiiiovedhy unauthorized persons. i

The autoiiiobile license plate liolderis apl plicable to the usual plaies and brackets, and the bow springs and spring jaws prevent rattling and provide means whereby thc pressure between the bracket and plate may I manually operated Ibeadjusted by the Vuse'of4v a key to which isy `pivotally attached a handle or lever having 1. In holder for license tags, a plato ha-ving a. post, the'vsaid yplate, adapted lto:bearfagainst the face ofthe license. plate the .said posit'extending#through` the license platefand `asupport therefor, a yieldable ele- `ment which bear-s against thel said support,

ing an aperture therethrough', the said plate having posts which project therefrom and are adapted to extend through a license plate and a bracket therefor, a spring having an vaperture through which the Vposts extend,

converging arcuate jaws between which the posts are clamped, and manually insertable,

rotativeand removable means for engaging the jaws to compress the spring, said means also being operative to spread the jaws to release the posts.

,Y 3. In combinationV with supporting bracket and a license plate having registering 'openings therethrough, of means for connecting the license plate to the 'bracket` comprising a pair of longitudinally curved plates each having separablefarcuate jaws which are integral with theside edgesof the curved plates, face plates having notched bolts which are adapted to be en gaged by the jaws and when so engaged to hold the license plate in engagement with the bracket and removable manually oper ated means for exerting pressure upon the parts when associated. Y y i 4. A license plate holder comprising a` member having parallel postsfwhich extend therefrom, resilient means for engagement with the' posts, a key receiving opening through said member vlocated'between the posts for the passage of a key for simultaneous engagement with the post engaging means. n -c 5. A- license plate holder comprising a license plate having openings adjacent to the corners thereof, a bracket having registering openings therethrough, `a plate provided with spaced posts having notched end portions, an opening vthrough the plate'between the posts, a spring having'an opening therethrough and arcuate members for engagement with the posts, and removable means insertableV through the registering openings for separating the arcuate members to move the same out of engagement with the posts.

6. Incombination with a license plate andv 'a bracket, each having registering openings therethrough, a longitudinally curved spring having a slot therethrough and arcuate members which are integral withthespring cated between the "posts, anda. key for en-' gagement with each-of the arcuateniembers.

7.y vInacombination with aY supporting -bracket and license plate, of a plate having serrated posts and-an openingrbetween the posts, a resilient platehaving a slottherethrough and curved side members for simul vthe yplate for reciprocating the key and vfor Vturning the same.

8. In combination with a supporting bracketl and licenseplate, of a fastening devicewhich comprises a plate having posts with serrations thereon, lthe posts being alined and adapted to extend through openings formed in the bracket and theplate, 'a spring plate. having la slot therethrough which isv in alinement with the openings through the bracket and th'ejplate, arcuate members'on the spring'plate, the edges thereof being adapted to engage with theV serrations of the posts, a key-hole through the Y plate having the posts, al key which is adapt-` ed vto be passed through the keyfhole, the plate, bracket `and the spring plate forengagement with the edges of the arcuate memf bers between the posts, a handle pivoted to the shank of the key, and a" camion theL Y o loo handle for engagement with the 'plate and thearcuate members of the spring plate.f

9. A license plate holder comprising a face i plate having postsy which extend therefrom,`

said posts having serrations adjacent to their ends, alicense plate having openings there-` through for thepassage ofthe posts, a support for the license plate, saidY support havving therethrough openings which register with the openings through the license plate` a bowed spring having therethrough a slot, and

^ therethrough comprising a face plate having parallel posts with notches formed therein 1 and a key receiving opening positioned between the posts, abowed spring having on opposite sides converging arcuate jaws which diminishV gradually in lthickness from vthe side 1 edges of the bowed spring to their'contiguous edges' and,v an opening through the bowed springrin linewith the openings through the face plate, the license plate, the support, and

the contiguous edges of the jaws.

k11. holder for license tags comprisingv havingr openings therethrough for the passage ofthe posts and openings which reglster with the opening throngh the face p'late. a

` longitudinally slotted bowed spring having curved ends for engagement with the bracket,` arcuate jaws which extend from an l0 intermediate portion of thebowedlspring, the post engaging ends of the arcuate jaws being in alinement with the opening through the face plate and with the openings through the license tag, the bracket and the bowed 15 spring when the parts are positioned oruse.

d F ORREST HALLAR.` i BERYL C. LONG.v 1

A fe.. 

